Plus3 Germany finally began with an early bus ride to PIT on a very foggy and rainy morning. Checking in all 21 of us went smoothly, and the line for security was nearly empty, which was surprising for a Friday morning. Our stop in Charlotte was on time, and we all boarded for Munich with excitement and no expectation of delays. But of course, everything can’t go well! While I was devouring American Airlines’ exquisite Moroccan chicken, the pilot announced that there was an issue with the flight radars. We were headed to quickly divert to New York as the flight attendants rushed to throw our trash away. In New York, a 1-hour delay became 2, which became 3.
We finally landed in Munich nearly 5 hours after our scheduled time and headed to our hotel in Augsburg, sleep-deprived. Watching the cars on the highway, I was surprised at the sheer amount of BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes on the road. I know it makes sense, considering those are flagship German car brands. However, I was surprised because they are still luxury vehicles, and there were just so many of them. It was also interesting seeing many Fords and Chevys but not one Japanese manufacturer!
After settling into our hotels and receiving a little brief for the next two weeks, our Americanness didn’t fail us to bring us to Mickey D’s for a quick lunch. Hoping to see some different menu items, I was honestly disappointed with how similar the options were. There were, however, some delicious waffle fries that you won’t find in the US.
For the rest of the breezy and cloudy day in Augsburg, we toured Fuggerei, the longest social settlement currently running, dating to the 16th century. The complex features beautiful apartments for which residents pay only 88 cents per YEAR! There were various requirements to being a resident in Fuggerei, such as being Catholic, being in need, among other things. Finally, we sat for dinner at Zeughaus Stuben with the students of the University of Augsburg. It was insightful talking with the German students about their lives and interests. I also ordered a delicious German classic: pork Schnitzel! By the end of the day, there was no other plan than to catch up on sleep and be refreshed for our first full day in Germany tomorrow.
I’m excited to share some stories again soon! See you tomorrow!